The Bitter Watches of Night
by Khaelen Coulson
Summary: Does graduation mean the end? Or the beginning? RLHG


Hello all. This here is about Hermione Granger and Remus Lupin. Basically, Lupin likes Hermione but never says anything and then Hermione graduates, leaving him at Hogwarts. He is sad. Things happen. I do not know what things that would be, because I do not have this whole thing in my brain. So deal with it. =P  
  
I would like to take this time to say that I am no way shape or form JK Rowling, nor am I attempting to make any money off this work. So, now that that's taken care of..on with the show!  
  
Hermione Granger ran a small hand through her curly chestnut mane. It was the last day of her old life. Tomorrow, she would start all over again somewhere else, remembering with fondness the years that she had spent within these sturdy castle walls, getting into mischief, studying tirelessly, and most importantly, living. Yes, these past seven years had been the best of her life. She had stumbled upon her two best friends, Harry and Ron, and she had been introduced to a world that held her wildest fantasies and more. She silently thanked whoever might be listening up there for her life. Now though, she had to leave Hogwarts. Graduation had been earlier in the morning, leaving her red faced and puffy eyed.  
  
Flashback  
  
She felt Ron nudge her with his elbow, and she looked over to see him grinning for all he was worth. She silently thought to herself in that moment that perhaps he was trying to cover up any signs of sadness that he possessed. The ceremony was progressing rapidly, far too quickly for Hermione. She wanted to hold onto the moment forever, to cherish it, to stay at Hogwarts like this forever. Of course, there was little she could do about this phenomenon called time and the way it seemed to flow more swiftly in those moments that you would give anything to keep it to a trickle. She was so lost in thought that had it not been for Ron and Harry giving her a slight shove and questioning glances, she might never have known that her name had been called. She stepped forward onto the sunbathed platform where Professors Dumbledore, McGonagall, Snape, Lupin, Vector, Sinistra, Sprout, Hagrid, Flitwick, and others that Hermione had never met, were standing ready to shake hands with the newly graduated young men and women.  
  
In Hermione's sixth year, Lupin was again given the post of Defense Against Dark Arts teacher, much to Severus Snape's obvious dismay. He had openly objected at first, but Dumbledore held to his argument that he would be more helpful within the Order whilst stationed in Hogwarts, where he could more readily be notified of a turn of events. He finally obliged and quickly resettled himself into the position. It was still the popular vote amongst the students that he was the greatest Defense Against Dark Arts teacher that they had seen.  
  
So there he was, standing with the other teachers, watching the fruits of their labor receiving the highest honor that Hogwarts could grant. Hermione tentatively stepped up to receive her diploma. Dumbledore handed the crimson ribbon clad parchment over to her, and held his arms open, letting Hermione rush at him with a hug. She laid her head upon his shoulder and let the tears fall down her pale face.  
  
"Now child, do not weep. I think you'll find that Hogwarts and I will never be too far away." and with a mischievous wink, he sent her down the line to shake hands with the rest of her professors. She was pleasantly surprised when McGonagall gave her a motherly hug and told her to stay in touch. As Hermione walked on towards Snape, she could have sworn that her Head of House had a tear in the corner of her wizened eye. Snape held out his hand and Hermione shook it with a kind smile and a whispered thank you. The corners of his mouth curled up a bit, to the amazement of Hermione. Then she came to Lupin. The nights of her sixth and seventh years were often found in intense conversation on such topics as lycanthropy, transfiguration, and even childhood. It was so easy to talk to Professor Lupin. He was the only one who lived at Grimmauld Place who was also in Hogwarts and who had enough free time to talk with her. Hermione had even chosen to complete the Exreq project that was offered to all seventh years with Professor Lupin on the subject of the Wolfsbane Potion. They had become close friends over these past two years and now, Hermione wasn't sure what she was going to do without him to confide in. She looked at her favorite professor with a broad smile and tears openly streaming down her now rosy cheeks. He too wore a smile, but his eyes held a sadness that Hermione could read quite clearly indeed. She walked up to him and put her arms around his neck, weeping onto his shoulder. He put his arms around her and hugged her tightly before relinquishing her onto the next professor. Hermione went down the line of teachers, shaking hands and hugging those that she knew and would miss dearly, but it was if she was going only through the motions. All she could think about was Lupin, and how much she would miss him.  
  
"There's always the owl post, you silly girl!" She silently chided herself. Nevertheless, she knew, that no matter how often they owled each other, they would never be able to share the same fireside conversations that they had had for so long. A few more stray tears wove themselves down her face and when she came to the end of the line, she was met by Harry and Ron who immediately pulled her into a firm and loving embrace.  
  
"Now, 'Mione, we're all going to miss Hogwarts. All this fuss is about the library, isn't it?" Harry chuckled jovially.  
  
"Amazing, Harry. You can read me like an open book." She smirked at him.  
  
"See? It always comes back to the books!" Ron faked outrage. Hermione swatted at his playfully, and allowed herself to be pulled into another three-way hug.  
  
End Flashback  
  
Now, she was standing in the middle of the room that had been hers for the last year; a specially furnished room off the main dormitory. She was the Head Girl, so of course she would be granted special provisions. All of her things were either packed neatly into her brown trunk, or awaiting placement there. She sifted through some books that lined the now nearly barren shelves and with a few well administered charms, she had them reduced in size and neatly stowed away in their own little fraction of the trunk. She closed the lid and looked about her quarters, checking and double checking for any stray object that might have found it's way out of her list of things that needed to be packed.  
  
A faint knock on the door brought her out of her silent reverie. She walked over to the door and opened it, fully expecting to see Harry or Ron standing there, finally coming to the bitter realization that this was the end of their wonder years at Hogwarts. However, she was pleasantly surprised to find Professor Lupin standing outside of her door with a brown package in his hand. She smiled brightly and stood aside to allow him entrance to her sitting room.  
  
"Hello, Professor! How can I help you?" she beamed.  
  
"Oh, I just wanted to uh.give this to you." He mumbled, fingering the package in his hands. Without further ado, he handed it over to her. She lightly relieved the package from his hand and inquired as to whether she should open it then or later.  
  
"Perhaps, later. You can owl me then." He quickly turned to exit.  
  
"Wait a second!" She called to his retreating back. "Are you the only one allowed to give out gifts?" She asked with a grin. A smile graced his face and he walked back over to where Hermione was rummaging through a large bag. Finally, she pulled out a package wrapped in silver paper and topped off with blue string. She looked at it for a moment, and with a smile, she placed it in his arms.  
  
"Shall I open this now? Or later?" He asked.  
  
"Open it now." She said lightly. So he did. He pulled the string off carefully, as though intending to keep it always. When the paper remained the only obstacle, he tore it off and stood in shock for a moment before looking up into Hermione's sparkling hazelnut eyes.  
  
"Hermione.I can't accept this! How did you.Where did you.?" She cut him off.  
  
"Nonsense! Of course you can accept it, and you will accept it, because I have no intentions of returning it." She quirked.  
  
"But this is too much. It must have cost a fortune!"  
  
"You let me worry about the cost of it. My goodness!" She laughed. Lupin just stood there, looking from his present to Hermione and back to his present. A knock on her door caused him to spin around. Harry was standing in the doorway with his trunk and Hedwig's cage complete with the beautiful snowy owl herself.  
  
"Come on, 'Mione. We have to catch the train!" She ran back into her room and with a simple spell, she levitated her trunk out into the sitting room. She knelt beside the bed and produced an offering of chicken treats to the mass of ginger hair that was currently residing under her bed. With a stretch and a quick sniff to identify to contents of his mistress's hand, Crookshanks sauntered out into the room. Hermione deftly scooped him up and coaxed him into his cage with promises of food. With that, she picked up the cage and headed off towards the sitting room where Harry, Lupin, and her trunk were waiting for her. She took the packaged that she had received and stowed it away in she shoulder pack, and again levitated her trunk. The three gave one last look to the room and pulled the door closed, leaving it to it's memories.  
  
Oh.what now?!?! You have to come back eventually...to find out what it is that Hermione gave Lupin. Awww. Come back now, ya'll here. Be kind, rewind. I mean.review. Whatever.  
  
I love you all. Yes.even you.  
  
-Me- 


End file.
